Untouchable

Outside of the church we attend here, there are plenty of beggars. Some are trained to put on a show. They hold tiny, filthy, naked babies and signal for food. Others will tug on your skirt and follow you all the way to your destination if you do not give them a firm "No." I have heard if you give money, there's no way to tell if it is for the beggar or for someone else who has hired them to beg. Sometimes people do terrible things, like blind or burn small children so they receive more money begging. These beggars are especially persistent in approaching anyone with light skin or who looks foreign.

There was a girl, maybe 10 years old asking for money outside church on Sunday. I am so numb to them now, I walked right past her. But Andrea stopped. The girl, Nika, only spoke Hindi. Her hair was messy and dusty. She wore a dirty, torn green kurta and scarf. Andrea invited her up the stairs to the church service. One of the church ladies stopped her on the stairs and asked what was going on. "She's coming to church," Andrea replied.

Inside, the pastor greeted Andrea and I warmly and then pointed to Nika, confused, and asked, "Is she with you?" Andrea nodded. Nika sat through the whole service, clapping her hands to the songs and listening to the Hindi translation.

I am disappointed I didn't think of inviting Nika and others like her to church. That I overlook people because if they are uneducated, they don't speak English, and how could I communicate? Or they are probably not using the money for food, so I walk past them.

Then I got upset. Why did people question her being there? Aren't we called to invite people to the church? Church people are not the ones who need to hear about Jesus. Didn't Jesus hang with poor people? What were the church people afraid of, that she would not understand the service? That she would steal something? This small act of Andrea's set a huge example for me. It really rocked my mindset. 

Though discriminating based on the caste system is technically illegal, it still exists today. Nika was born an  untouchable, or outcast of society, and has no chance of getting an education or job better than a street sweeper. If she tries, she or her family could be beat, their possessions burned, or worse. Christians don't really follow the caste system, but it's so deeply embedded in the culture, I think this caused some of the reactions. 

But I'm going to follow Andrea's example and stop thinking of excuses. I hope Nika comes back to church next week.